New Beginnings
by YoDog41
Summary: Eren is the owner of a successful bookstore, even though he isn't fond of reading. One day, he gains the courage to write the author of his favorite book, and it turns out that this may just stir up troubled memories. ([LeviXEren; JeanXMarco] Few other pairings in the mix.) (Rated 'T' for language.) [Reincarnation!AU] [**YAOI FLUFF**] [Sequel to U.S.S Titan.]
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! This is a sequel to my story U.S.S Titan, and if you haven't read it, you probably will be confused, so go read that first, then come back to read this one. This story will be a Modern AU, and also Yaoi. So, if you are not a fan of homosexual relationships, then I suggest you turn back now.**_

_**Disclaimer:: I do not own Attack on Titan, or any of the characters. I only own the idea.**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"Eren, would you unpack those books, and set them out on the shelves? I think one box should be good for right now."

I looked up from my phone, and noticed that Armin was gesturing to the new shipment of books we had gotten, which lay untouched by the glass door. I sighed, and set my cellular device down on the check-out counter, as I stretched my arms above my head. "Yeah, yeah… I'll get right on that." I stated, waving him off, before standing out of the cozy chair I had been sitting in that was located behind the register.

Walking over to the three boxes, box cutter in hand, I noticed that the sun was beginning to set, giving the bookstore an earthly, and relaxing glow. It was a calming place to be in after a stressful day, and with the candle that Armin was always burning, the shop completely relaxed my usually tense senses. The bookstore was fairly small, yet it was big enough to fit enough people in, even on the busiest of days. I had tried to make the décor, and feel of the store as welcoming as I possibly could, to attract more customers. And it worked, for the most part.

Armin and I had both opened this bookstore together, on account of the town not having one, and my friend just wanting to open up a shop for his love of books. I was not very fond of books, and I hardly ever read them, but I would admit that working in the small shop was much better than having a job at some big, and overly-crowded store. The only person that I worked with was Armin, and that meant I had no annoying co-workers to deal with, or a lot of stress put on me. The shop itself was also successful, which was nice, seeing as though we didn't have to worry about closing anytime soon, and we had plenty of money to order new, and popular books that were enjoyed by the regulars that shopped here.

I opened up the box cutter, and slid it across the packing tape on top of the box to open it up, and reveal the contents inside. Even though Armin and I had ordered countless copies of this book, people could never seem to stop buying them, so we had no choice but to keep ordering them. Sighing with a slight smile, I picked up one of the hard-bound books, and relished in the sight of the cover, which consisted of an older-looking pirate ship sailing in the fog, and the thin font towards the top that read, _U.S.S Titan_. The book was written by an author who called himself _Rivalle_, but everyone knew that it was just a alias. The real name of this author remained a mystery to everyone, save for the publishing department, and maybe a few of his close friends. Although, I was one of the people who desperately wanted to know it, so I could possibly feel closer to him.

It wasn't like I had a boy-crush on this man, although I would be lying if I said that I didn't. I only respected him like a high-honored scientist who had discovered the cure to some illness, or a famous actor, who had donated a large amount of money to a charity to help out with a cause. Why did I think so highly of him? It's simple, really. Rivalle's book meant a lot to me, for the way it brought me a kind of comfort that couldn't be described, and the words that were written out on those pages reminded me of a home-feeling. I wasn't sure of why I felt so fondly of this book, but all I knew was it gave me a sense of peace, and I enjoyed reading it more than anything in my life.

The story was about a young woman name Erin, who was a stowaway on the ship, U.S.S Titan; hence where the name of the book had come from. She was later caught by the Captain of the ship, and was nearly killed by him, until she had told him why she had snuck on the ship, and he had decided to let her stay until they had ported at the place they needed to be. The rest of the book was about the two slowly falling in love, despite how much of a jerk the Captain was, and how much Erin seemed to hate him. And towards the ending, the protagonist dies by the hands of an enemy of the opposing ship. The ending, I hate to say, made me tear up, and it was something I hadn't expected myself to do, especially with how much I hated it at first. The way that Rivalle had written Erin's death was painful to read, and even though it was sad, the book easily became my number one. 

Placing the last book on the self, I caught a glimpse of the address on the back on the novel, and stopped to look at it for the hundredth time. I had been contemplating after reading this book for the first time whether I should send a letter to the author's PO Box, or not, and there were a few things that prevented me from it. For one, I could never seem to word the letter right; and two, I knew that I probably wouldn't even receive a response. One thing I had learned about working in book stores, was that the address on the books that would sometimes be provided, was usually just the PO Box to the publishing company, and most of the mail wouldn't make it to the author themselves. So, the chance that Rivalle would even receive it, was a slim one.

After I had finished shelving the books, I grabbed the two extra boxes, and walked to the storage room, where we would keep the cleaning supplies, and other books that hadn't been put out on the shelves, or just extra miscellaneous copies of them. I placed the boxes neatly towards the front of the room, and flipped off the lights as I left, leaving the copies of my favorite book to wait until we needed to shelve them. Closing the door behind me, I noticed that Armin was putting on his jacket, and standing towards the door. "Leaving for the day?" I asked, as I sat back down in my chair behind the counter.

Armin nodded his head, and smiled at me. "I figured that you could handle the customers from here. After 'rush-hour', there are only about three or four more people that wander in, and don't usually buy anything." he stated, fixing his longer-blonde hair with his fingers.

I chuckled a bit. "I think I should be able to manage…" I remarked, sending a small smile back to him.

"Don't forget to lock up, Eren…" he told me with a stern look, which I shrugged off. "I will see you tomorrow!"

After the little bell had rung, and I watched as Armin walked out to his car, I sighed. The evening hours at the bookstore were usually ones that he would take, and when I would leave the shop. They were usually dull, and quiet, with no one to talk to, and nothing to do. I usually left the shop in the two o'clock hour, to prevent having to stay late, but Armin had been working the evening hour for so long, I guessed it wouldn't hurt. I was about to play some dumb game on my phone to take up time, when I suddenly had a stroke of what I would call 'genius'. There was nobody here to distract me, and I felt relaxed, so I dubbed this to be the perfect time to try and write that letter I had been wanting to write for the longest time. Even if my letter was going to be ignored, or the invitation to my bookstore was going to be declined, it was better to try, then have done nothing about trying to speak with Rivalle.

I dug through the drawers of the counter for awhile, before I managed to find a piece of lined paper, and a pen. I was lucky, and the publishing company that had made Rivalle's book buyable was here in Trost, and that meant that the author had to live close-by, so he could get to the company if they needed him for something. And that's why I had decided to invite him to do a book signing at the shop, if he wanted to that was. I knew that getting him to show up was probably a long-shot, but I needed to try, or how else would I know what his answer was. But considering that he had never shown his face to the public, I decided that it was best not to get my hopes up.

The letter in itself was simple, and was just me asking Rivalle to do a book signing at my shop, and he couldn't do that, at least get some response from him, like letter, or email. I left out how much his book meant to me, seeing as though he might become creeped out by it, and stuck with the simple, formal writing of the letter. I signed it with my name, and sighed, happy that I had finally written a letter to the author, even though now there would probably be difficulty mailing it. I grabbed an envelope, and folded the letter neatly inside, after placing a stamp on it, and writing the address out for the desired location. Now, all I had to do was wait until it was closing time, so I could mail the letter. And just hope that my efforts wouldn't be in vain.

…

_**A/N:: I am hoping that this was a good idea for a reincarnation!AU, because it was really all I could come up with at the time. It will get more exciting as the story goes on, but for now, bare with me.**_

_**Yours Truly,**_

_**~YoDog41**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! I am happy that a lot of you enjoyed the first chapter of this, and I promise you that it won't end awfully like the last story! Plus, I think I have the potential to put some more excitement into it. Also, thank you all for the reviews! There were a lot, and I'm hoping for it to be about the same as last chapter.**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"Well, this is the place… No turning back now…" I muttered to myself as I stood outside the café door, and reached a hesitant hand towards the handle so I could enter the small coffee shop.

A little bell signaled my entrance, and the woman working smiled at me as I went up to order a drink. "Hello, sir. What can I get for you?" she asked in a pleasant tone, as she peered from behind her black-rimmed glasses.

"Hi… Can I get a Mocha Frappe? A medium please." I ordered, as I handed the owed amount of money to her, and stood aside so others could order their drinks. The shop was fairly packed, as was it always, and I normally didn't come in here; but today was different. I was going to do something that I had wanted to do for the longest time, but never had the pleasure of doing, and I was nervous to say the least. I wasn't going to rob this place, or anything like that; in fact, that would probably be a bit easier than what I was going to do. What was this thing that was so difficult, you ask? Simple; I was finally meeting Rivalle.

It had all started around three days ago, after I had mailed my letter to the famous author, and patiently waited for some response. Towards the end of the day, a man walked in who claimed to be the head of the publishing department of Maria Publishing; Erwin was his name; and he handed me an envelope. Inside was a letter with some of the neatest cursive writing I had seen outside of an old Victorian movie, and I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that someone had actually written this. Upon reading it, I found out that it was from Rivalle, and instead of complying to a book signing, he requested me for coffee down at the local café; which I wholeheartedly agreed to. I told Erwin that I would be attending, and he gave me a nod, telling me that he would get the message back to the author, and he would see me in three days.

I was still having a difficult time with thinking that Rivalle had actually agreed to meet with me, even if it wasn't a signing, or anything like that. It was a meeting over coffee; something old friends do when they want to reminisce about something, and it shocked me, to say the least. I knew there had to be some reason he wanted to meet with me, because I knew for a fact that he wasn't going to just talk about the weather, or about how my letter was interesting. Rivalle was a mysterious person, and if I thought he was just going to throw away his identity because he thought my poorly-worded letter was humorous, I would be sorely mistaken. There had to be some good reason behind it, and I think that's what worried me the most.

After graciously accepting my drink from the woman working, and thanking her, I looked around the café for Erwin, who said that he would meet up with me three days prior. When I spotted his blonde comb-over type of hairstyle, and those aquatic blue eyes, I walked up to him with a smile, and waved a bit. "Hello, Eren…" he stated with a happy smile. "Follow me."

I took a hard sip of my coffee, and followed behind Erwin to where Rivalle was, and I couldn't stop my heart from racing, or my mind wondering what he looked like, his personality, or even what his name was; those were all questions bugging me. I just had to keep telling myself that I would eventually see him, and speak with him, so I didn't need to worry as much as I was. Although, I still couldn't help my mind from thinking about it. As we walked through the café, it seemed that the trip was lasting forever, even though the building was fairly small; I just pegged it due to excitement. And eventually, towards the back of the coffee shop, my eyes fell upon the famous author, Rivalle.

Needless to say, he was beautiful; not a kind of feminine beauty, but rather a masculine kind. Rivalle's skin was pale, almost translucent in a way, but it was also flawless from what I could see; his raven hair was parted in towards the side of his head, and it was trimmed into a nice undercut, that suited his figure; dim grey eyes seemed to be brought out by the darkened bags that rested under them; and I now realized how god-like this man looked. Rivalle was, in every sense of the word, perfect. I had nearly forgotten of why I was here, and when I received a gentle nudge from Erwin, I realized that I was staring at the author, who wore a scowl on his face. I blushed lightly from embarrassment, and walked up towards him, holding out a friendly handshake. "H-Hello… My name is Eren Jäger; it's nice to meet you."

Rivalle held up his hand, as if to stop me. "One, I already know your name; and two, I don't do 'handshakes'. It spreads germs and bacteria around far too easily. I feel it's better to just exchange pleasantries with someone, rather than touching their sweaty palms." he remarked, picking his cup up in a strange manor, as he looked to the table.

That was something I hadn't expected coming from someone that looked so much like an angel; although I should have guessed something of that magnitude, considering the annoyed look on his face. I took a cautionary move, and sat down across from Rivalle awkwardly, as he sat down his cup, and looked around the café. "I would hate to interrupt your 'interesting' conversation, but I need to get back to the office. I will see you later." Erwin stated, to Rivalle. "It was nice seeing you again, Eren."

I nodded my head, with an awkward smile as he walked out of the coffee house, almost happy that he had left; something about Erwin unsettled me, and made me nervous. I looked to Rivalle, and noticed he was taking another drink of what appeared to be tea. He rose an eyebrow as he looked towards me with a bored face expression. "You want something, brat?" he asked.

I felt my heart hammer in my chest, the full effect of his smooth voice hitting me, and making me feel like I wasn't even on the Earth any longer. And that pet-name he used, made me fidget in my seat. "Actually," I began, looking at the table. "I was wondering why you invited me to coffee…"

Rivalle pushed his empty cup aside, and crossed his arms; I could feel his cold-grey eyes on me. "There are two reasons actually. For one thing; I don't do book signings, since it would require me to show everyone what I look like. Just having coffee, allows only one person to know of what I look like. And secondly, I could tell by the way you had written your letter, you only wanted to speak with me, or ask questions. And if that is the answer, hurry up and ask your damn questions before I leave, and get back to work."

He was much smarter than I credited him for, and to think that he had gotten all of that out of one letter from me, was amazing. I looked up, and met with his steel eyes once more, feeling myself drown in their strange, yet wonderful color. "Well… Before I start asking you obnoxious questions, because I know that's what will happen, I should tell you of why I wanted to meet with you so badly. Truth is, your book means a lot to me, and I am not sure of why that is. Just the way you described everything was comforting to me, and I want to thank you for that." I smiled, happy that I had gotten that off of my chest.

"I'm glad that you found it of interest, brat. Now, if you would please get to the irritating questions, I can leave sooner." he stated, looking at his finger nails, as if he was inspecting them for dirt.

I smiled gently, now understanding a bit of his personality; he was the kind of person who preferred to be left alone, and despite his appearance, was next to a new level of 'asshole'. "Hmm… Let's start off with the basics; what's your real name?" I asked, hoping he would answer.

Rivalle seemed to tense up a bit at the question, and he sighed, pushing a hand through his raven hair. "That's always the first thing people want to know…" he paused, deciding whether he should tell me or not. "My real name is Levi."

…

_**A/N:: Sorry this is up so late! I was busy all day, but happy that I managed to squeeze in a chapter. **_

_**Yours Truly, **_

_**~YoDog41**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! This week seemed like it droned on, and on, and I am happy that it's finally the weekend, since that means I can update again. Also, thank you all for the wonderful reviews! They motivate me to want to update when I can!**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"Levi? That's a nice name…" I mentioned to myself with a shy smile.

Upon looking up from the wooden table, which I had been staring at for around a minute now, I saw the partial look of amusement on the man's face in front of me, and it made my cheeks heat up slightly at the thought that I was the one causing that look from him. Levi seemed to notice the red color on my cheeks, and that smirk he wore, turned into a minor scowl, as he raised an eyebrow. "Why are you blushing, brat? Is someone's junk hanging out of their pants?" he asked, in that usual monotone voice. I had a difficult time believing that someone could ask something like that with such a smooth tone, and with hardly any emotion on his face.

I shook my head out of the daze I had been in, and rubbed the back of my neck anxiously. "N-No… It's nothing." I stated, trying my best to wave off his sort of questioning look, as my blush seemed to deepen from embarrassment.

"Tch…" he muttered, before crossing his arms against his chest. "Do you have any more questions?"

My ears perked up at the sound of his voice, and I felt myself slowly loosing that embarrassing red color on my cheeks, now that he wasn't asking about it any longer. "Actually, I was wondering where you came up with the idea for your book." I told him with a slight smile.

Levi's body seemed to shudder a bit at my question, as if it was a painful thing for him to talk about, and he kept his cold gaze on me. "That is something only two people know, and you are not going to be the third." he stated calmly, despite his outward appearance, which was tense and made him seem unapproachable.

For some reason, and I wasn't sure of it, the fact of how Levi had gotten the idea for his book was painful for him. And with him sitting there looking like someone had just asked him to kill a man, or rob a bank, I felt immediately bad about asking him something like that, even though I had no idea that he didn't like to talk about it. Thinking that he was mad with me, like with the way that his eyes were fixated on the table and no longer making eye contact with me, I assumed that I had just ruined our time. I pursed my lips, and frowned a bit as I glanced out the window, resting my arms onto the wooden table. "I'm sorry… I probably shouldn't have brought that up." I mentioned sadly, hoping to get some response from him.

Levi glanced over to me, his expression and body shifting to how it had been around two minutes ago; calm and relaxed. "Don't apologize, brat. You didn't know, and it's not your fault." he remarked, keeping that same monotone voice present, yet there was some detectable pain in it.

I diverted my gaze from out the window at the passing cars, and bustling people to the stoic author with a slight smile, happy that I hadn't ruined our conversation. I honestly wanted to know why he hadn't been able to answer my question, or why a look of pure pain had replaced his normally calm one, but to prevent me from loosing my contact with him, or making Levi upset, I decided to move on from it, and continue with my questions, which were all going to be thought out carefully to avoid something else like this from happening again.

After the two of us both ordered another drink - mine being some iced coffee, and Levi's being black tea - I continued asking him questions, and after a little while, the questions stopped, and they made way for us both chatting like a couple of friends do after meeting up from being apart for two years; which was something unexpected, yet nice to do. It allowed me to get to know Levi without it being about his book, or work life. I had even dared myself to ask more personal things, like if he lived in town, or if he could stop by the bookstore sometime, and not because I wanted him to do a book signing, but rather so he could visit with me while I was at work. All of the questions were answered, which only seemed to make me wonder why Levi had refused to answer of where he had come up with the idea of his book, and now I wanted to desperately find out.

"So, how old are you?" I asked, not really caring about the huge smile on my face. I was finally learning more about my favorite author, who was normally so mysterious, and I think that anyone in that situation would be excited, so I had the right to have the biggest, stupidest smile on my face.

Levi calmly sipped his tea, and set down the porcelain cup with a slight smirk on his face, one I realized he wore when something amused him. "I am thirty-two years old, actually."

I nearly spit out the coffee that currently resided in my mouth, and I coughed a bit once I had swallowed the warm liquid. There was no way in hell that he was thirty; he looked more to be around twenty-five, what with his sharp facial features. That meant Levi was four years older than I was, and something about it didn't seem to add up. It wasn't as if I looked particularly old myself, but to think that this man was older than me, took me by surprise. Looking towards Levi, and seeing that smirk on his lips, I knew that he had purposely done that, the thought making me grumble a bit. He got satisfaction out of me looking miserable, and I really didn't know how to feel about it.

Levi glanced down at the silver watch he wore on his wrist, and set down his tea cup, pushing it aside to signal he was done with it. "I have to get going, brat. Is there anything else you would like to ask me before I leave?" he asked, standing up and grabbing his jacket that had rested next to him on the bench, and slinging it over his shoulder.

I stood up after him, and noticed the remarkable height difference between the two of us; his short stature making him seem all the younger, and the fact that he was thirty-two all the more difficult to believe. I fidgeted a bit with the hem of my shirt, as I looked towards Levi, almost not wanting to ask what was on my mind, due to the embarrassment that would most likely come from it. He waited impatiently for me to speak, and deciding that it wasn't right of me to waist his time, I sighed, and looked towards the floor. "Can I have your phone number?" I asked in a rather shy tone, knowing that it was probably going to be declined.

Levi reached into his back jean pocket, and pulled out his billfold, opening it up, and reaching for something. Moments later, he handed me a professional business card that he would most likely give to the other editors at his workplace, and upon looking at it, I noticed his number in the bottom left corner, under an italicized _Rivalle_. I smiled widely, realizing that my request had not been denied, and it made me feel accomplished for the moment. "If you ever want to talk, or meet up somewhere, don't hesitate to message, or call me. I may not answer, but that would be due to me being busy at work. Is that all you need, then?" he asked me, after slipping his wallet back into his pants, before putting on his light jacket.

I nodded my head with a smile, trying my best not to look down on him too much, as I carefully tucked the card away into my cardigan. "No, that's all… Thank you for meeting up with me today. I know that you're busy, so it means a lot to finally meet with you." I stated, bowing my head slightly in gratitude.

Levi held up his hand, and shook his head. "Think nothing of it, brat. I will hopefully see you soon, hmm?"

"Definitely…" I mentioned with a slight chuckle.

The stoic author walked past me, and patted my shoulder in the process, his hand lingering for a short time, as he paused slightly, before continuing his journey out of the café we had spent our conversation in. My mouth hung slightly open, and my eyes widened a bit, as I held up my hand to my cheek lightly. I was no longer focused on his intoxicating smell, which was something like musk. Nor was I worried about how as he left, he lit up a cigarette, and walked into the darkness to get to his car. The only thing I was worried about at the moment is what had happened, or rather, what he had done. Before Levi had left, and as he lingered a bit, he had stood on his tip-toes to raise his height slightly, and what he had done surprised me, and left me shocked. As I looked to the floor, my cheek being cradled in my palm, and eyes still wide, there was only one thing that was running through my mind; one question. Why had Levi kissed me…?

…

_**A/N:: Can you file that as a cliffhanger? I would say yes, but I think we all know the reason Eren was kissed on the cheek. But if you don't, then I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, I guess…**_

_**Yours truly,**_

_**~YoDog41**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! Sorry this is up later than normal; I was making piñata cookies for Cinco de Mayo. Although, I did get to update today, so I guess that's what's important. Also, thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I get so happy seeing a new one, and enjoy reading them!**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"I'm sorry, sir. But we're just now clo-" I paused, and my eyes became wide when I saw who had just entered the bookstore, and at this point, I almost wished it were a robber, due to the embarrassment that would most likely befall me by this man's presence. I had just been dusting the filthy shelves since it had been around a month since neither Armin, nor I had done so, when he walked in with that smug look on his face.

"Are you really that eager to get rid of me, brat? That's a shame, because I even brought drinks with me." Levi stated, the smug look never leaving that sharply-angled face of his, as he held up a container of three drinks. I almost wanted to be mad at him for showing up without warning, but with what he was wearing, I couldn't honestly care. The author had black-rimmed glasses on, that rested comfortably on the bridge of his nose; a navy blue beanie hanging loosely on his head, perfectly complementing his dim eyes; a blue, black, and white plaid button-up shirt that was layered underneath a black leather jacket; dark colored jeans tucked into some loose-fitting boots; and upon looking closer, I could see the faintest sign of there being black earrings in both of his earlobes. I felt that my mind went blank, and I couldn't seem to come up with a snappy remark.

In a way, I really wasn't in the mood to speak with him, especially with what had happened the last time we met. Sure, I was very grateful for him being able to meet with me, because he had taken time out of his busy schedule to sit down, and have coffee with me; or in his case, tea. But all that gratitude seemed to leave when he had kissed me on the cheek, and left without explaining any of it to me. I didn't know why he had done what he did, and there were a few times that I had wanted to message him and ask about the mysterious action. Maybe while we had been having our conversation, Levi noticed that I had a little crush on him, and decided that he would mess around with my feelings, seeing as though he was very good at reading emotions, but not exactly expressing them. Although, I was having a difficult time believing that was the case, since I knew Levi wasn't _that_ much of an asshole.

Armin walked out of the storage room, dusting his hands on the uniformed forest-green aprons we wore, telling customers that we would be able to help them if they needed to find something. On his was a nametag proudly displaying the name 'Armin', and mine was similar, save for the name 'Eren' being on it. "Who are you talking to, Eren?" he asked, probably thinking that I was crazy, and talking to myself. He noticed that my attention was on Levi for the moment, however, and he looked over to the raven-haired man. "Oh, hello. Are you an acquaintance of Eren's?" he asked, his slight frown turning into a warm smile.

Levi looked over to the short blonde, and nodded his head, not returning a friendly smile to him, which wasn't surprising. "Yes, actually. I just stopped by to visit awhile with him. My name is Levi, by the way." he remarked in a pleasant tone of voice that he had never used with me. "You must be Armin… Eren has told me a lot about you."

I felt my cheeks heat up slightly, as I grew an embarrassed frown on my face. "No I didn't…" I muttered, looking away from the two and back to the shelves as I picked up my rag as I continued to wipe off the collecting dust. "Besides, you stopped by at a bad time; I'm cleaning."

Armin chuckled. "Don't mind him; he's just mad because you embarrassed him. Eren, you can put that off until tomorrow. It's rude to put off someone's company just because you're a bit red in the face." he remarked, and by the tone in his voice, I could tell that he was smirking.

I turned towards my friend. "You sound just like my mother…" I stated, taking off the white cloth that was keeping the hair out of my eyes, as I shook my head to get my chocolate locks to go back to their normal style. I took the cleaning supplies I was using back into the storage room, and seeing as though Armin made no attempt to go back there any time soon, I flicked off the light, and left the small space. I shuffled towards the reading area that the two had decided on sitting at, still embarrassed that I had been yelled at by my friend in front of the author I admired.

I sat down in one of the cushioned chairs that were sitting out for people to read in at their leisure, as I sat across from Levi, and next to Armin, giving him a slight glare, before accepting the coffee from the author with a mumbled 'thanks'. He also handed one over to Armin, who received the drink with a warm smile, and before long, we were all sitting around awkwardly, before Levi broke the silence. "You know, I have passed this bookstore many of times, but I had no idea that you were the one who owned it." he stated, sipping what appeared to be tea. "It's pleasant, if I may add."

I was taken from my daze, and looked towards Levi, who was looking about the shop, as if trying to inspect it for something. "Thank you…" I stated to him, as I took another drink of my coffee. "It would have been clean, if Armin hadn't stopped me from doing so." Looking over to Armin, I noticed the faint smirk on his face as he laughed a bit, knowing that he had irritated me slightly.

The three of us casually talked about what was going on in our lives, and I was sadly not able to bring up the fact of Levi being the famous author that Armin knew I admired, due to him probably not wanting his big secret out. The conversation we were having wasn't exactly as personal as it had been about a week prior, but is was to the point where something had brought up the fact of who we liked, and now Armin and I were in a heated discussion. "Why didn't you tell me that you like someone? After all, I am your best friend." I remarked slightly upset.

"Because, I didn't feel it very necessary to bring it up, especially when I know that I don't have a chance with him." he snapped, in an equally upset tone.

I felt kind of bad making Levi listen to this, but upon glancing over to him, I saw an amused smirk lining his thin lips, and knew he wasn't upset about having to listen to our bickering. I turned my attention back to Armin, and continued to frown at him. "Would you at least tell me his name? If you do, I may be able to help you get with him."

Armin sighed, and pushed a hand through his blonde hair as he looked towards the cup in his hand. "If you must know, his name his Erwin Smith. And I don't know how you would help me, since you probably don't even know him." he stated, a slight scowl on his face.

"So, you're that 'lovely little blonde' that Erwin's always talking about, hmm?" Levi asked out of nowhere, the smirk never dissipating from his face.

Armin's face lit up upon hearing those words coming from Levi. "Y-You know him?" he asked, with a half-smile on his face, yet part of his expression could be connected with worry upon the author telling Erwin about his crush on him.

"Know him?" he stopped to chuckle. "I work with him, and happen to be quite close with him. And let me tell you, he talks about you all the time, and is afraid that _you _don't like him yourself. So you really have no need to worry about him not liking you back, because I am fairly certain he's in love with you." he stated, taking another sip of his tea as Armin blushed in his seat with a dorky smile on his face.

I guess finding out that Armin liked Erwin amused me a bit, and I began to chuckle. Out of all the people for my friend to fall in love with, it was that creepy Erwin who had stolen his heart, and the thought just seemed to be so ridiculous, it made me laugh. Armin didn't seem to like how I was finding hilarity with his crush, because he turned to glare at me. "What's so funny, Eren? At least I know who my crush is, instead of it being the author of _U.S.S Titan_; whom, by the way, you haven't even met. So, if you ask me, that's pretty ridiculous." he remarked, with a satisfying smirk on his lips.

I felt my face pale, and my palms begin to sweat, nearly dropping my cup in the process. I slowly looked over to Levi, expecting to see a disgusted look on his face, or one of humor, but instead, it was his neutral one, as he checked his fingernails for dirt. I swallowed hard, and glared at Armin once I was over my initial shock of his words. In a way, this wasn't his fault, but it didn't help me from being any less angry at him. Levi stood up from his chair, tossing his empty cup into the bin next to it, as he picked up the messenger bag he had brought with him, and threw his leather jacket back on. "I need to go, and get back to work. I will see you both later." he remarked, smirk reappearing on his lips, walking towards the door, as Armin led him out into the night.

When he turned back to find me looking at the cup in my hand, brows furrowing in anger, and want to murder him, Armin raised an eyebrow, and placed his hands on his hips with a slight smirk. "What's wrong, Eren? It seems as though even Levi though your little crush was stupid." he chuckled.

"Of course he though it was stupid!" I shouted, throwing the empty cup to the floor. "You idiot! That was him; that was Rivalle! And now you probably just blew my chance with him!"

Now it was Armin's turn to look shocked. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Eren… What do you mean that the man who was just in here was Rivalle? How do you know?" he asked, voice sounding a bit worried.

"It means precisely what I said! A little while ago, I mailed him a letter requesting him to do a book signing, and instead of agreeing to that, he sent Erwin to tell me that he only wanted to sit down over a cup of coffee while I asked him questions. That man that just walked in here, gave me shit, and left with that goddamn smirk on his face, was him! And now, he probably thinks that I am an even bigger idiot than I already am…" I trailed off, plopping back down into the brown chair, burying my face into my palms with a sigh. If Levi didn't know of my feelings before, he sure as hell knew them now…

…

_**A/N:: I really want to update this tomorrow, but I won't be able to due to school. Sorry about that!**_

_**Yours Truly,**_

_**~YoDog41**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! I am so glad that this week of school is over! Two more an I'll be on vacation, which is awesome! I am tired of going, and summer vacation is just what I need to recuperate from this long school year. Also, thank you for all of the magnificent reviews! I am so happy with how many I have reached with this story already!**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"Here you are, miss. Have a wonderful day." I stated, handing the elderly woman a bag of freshly baked goods that she had ordered. She smiled at me, and slowly walked out of the bakery, and into the bright and sunny day, the place where I wanted to be. Even on my day off I was forced to work in the slightly cramped bakery that my mother owned, and I sometimes wondered why I had even offered to work there on Sundays, but then I would remember that my mother really did need the help sometimes. Sighing, I fixed the tie on the back of my apron, and waited patiently for another customer to walk in, and buy something.

My family had owned this bakery for numerous years, and thinking about it, the shop was open before I was even born. When I was seven-years-old, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and soon after, my father bailed on us, leaving my sister, mother, and I all to fend for ourselves, and to keep the bakery open. It was difficult work, especially with the low income from this place, and us hardly having enough money to keep it open, and pay the bills for my mother, but somehow we managed to get by. I would usually give money I had earned from my bookstore to my mother so that she didn't feel forced to work all of the time, and so that she could maybe relax a bit more with her illness. My sister Mikasa worked here from eight in the morning, until closing time, which was at four, and in return she still lived with my mother. When she wasn't working, and when my mom figured she could work on her own, Mikasa went to class at the University she had gotten into with a scholar ship; she was practically a genius in the lines of school.

And why did I work there when it seems that my sister has it under control? Simple; sometimes my sister needed a break, and I knew for a fact that my mother did. So if I could work here- even if it was on my day off- to help out with my family, I couldn't seem to care very much that it was my only free-day. Although, the work was usually more boring than at the book shop, by some stretch of an imagination, and often left me at a point where I wished that I could work in my bookstore 24/7.

I was happy that the day was drawing to a close, and that the bakery would be closing soon; which meant I could go home, eat, and watch mindless TV until I feel asleep. But just as my mood seemed to lighten up with the news that I would be able to leave soon, the biggest douchbag I have probably ever met walked in, a smug grin on his face and seemed to only be there to piss me off, and with him was his boyfriend who looked disappointed in the other man for reasons that were guessable. "Kirschtien…" I sneered, crossing my arms over the neatly pressed apron.

"Calm down with the attitude, Jäger. You know, I was going to buy some baked goods, but if you continue to act like I am a walking disease, I don't think I will." Jean stated with that stupid smirk of his.

"Knock it off, Jean…" Marco remarked in an scolding-like tone, one that would usually be heard from a mother. He looked to me with that warming smile of his, and I soon remembered why I could stand to be near his boyfriend. "Hello, Eren. Can we get two loafs of whole wheat bread, and a package of rolls?" he asked.

I nodded my head, and walked off to get the items that Marco had asked for, my good mood slowly returning. Marco was one of the most pleasant people I have ever talked to, and met. No matter what was going on, he was always in a good mood, and happy to see others. The only times I would see him upset was when Jean did something stupid, and the question on how the two had been together for three years still ran in my mind as 'question of the year'. Before I had met Marco he was in the Army, but later discharged due to becoming hurt in battle, and loosing his right eye, and having bad scarring on the right side of his body from burns. While it would for others, the injuries did not make Marco any less appealing to look at, and if I was being completely honest, he was handsome.

After grabbing the items he had requested, I walked back to hand the two the baked goods before they handed me the money they owed. Just as they were about to leave, I noticed the door to the bakery was opening, and in walked the stoic author, Levi, of all people. He looked bored as usual, and gave a slight nod in Jean's direction, only furthering my confusion. "Hello, Levi…" Jean greeted with one of those rare smiles he had, as he and Marco started to walk out of the bakery, and into bright day.

"Evening." he stated shortly, as he walked up to the counter, and leaned on it.

"Wait… You two know each other?" I asked, not having the slightest clue that they were even associated.

Levi showed some emotion for the first time that night, and smirked in my direction. "Work together is more like it. He's an editor down an Maria Publishing." he remarked, gesturing towards Jean. "But enough about that, and more about the reason I am here, hmm? Well, I was walking past when I noticed you had that shitty scowl on your face, and decided I would stop in to offer you to a drink later. If you don't drink alcohol, then you can always order a soft drink."

I mentally cursed, and was already wanting to say 'no' to his offer, due to my hatred of anything with a high amount of alcohol in it. But since Levi was 'nice' enough to offer, and it didn't seem like there was anything awkward between the two of us, I guessed it couldn't hurt too much. "I don't see anything wrong with that. But, don't you think it's a little early to go to the bar?"

Levi shook his head, as if thinking what I said was the dumbest thing he had ever heard. "I meant for later, brat. Say, eight-thirty?" he offered, that smirk he had wore now gone.

I smiled at him, and nodded my head. "I'll be there. I get off my shift in a little bit anyways, so I can go home, and get changed out of this uniform." I noted, pointing to the white button-up shirt I wore, and slacks.

A grin reappeared on his face. "Shower while you're at it, shitty brat. Working in this cramped up bakery all day must've had you sweating like a horse."

"Speaking of horses…" I purposely said in a higher tone within the earshot of Jean, who was just about out the door.

He quickly turned his head, and shot me a glare like he was going to kick my ass, but instead used his middle finger to portray his words. "See you in hell, Jäger!" he shouted at me, before leaving due to Marco practically dragging him out.

I began to laugh pretty hard, but was stopped when Levi flicked me in the forehead, to which I grumbled a bit, and rubbed the spot. "Oh, come on! You know that was funny!" I stated, trying to explain myself.

"I'll see you at eight, Jäger. Just hope that Jean doesn't come back to kick your ass, because he will if I'm not around." he stated, a small smirk reappearing.

"I think I will be fine. The worst he can do is neigh at me, and drop a few sugar cubes in the process." I stated with a chuckle.

Levi shook his head, and stated to walk off, sending me a slight wave without looking towards me. I was happy that things weren't awkward between the two of us, especially with what had happened the last time we had talked, but couldn't help but feel like there was some weird reason he had invited me out for drinks. I could tell by the way his attitude seemed off, and knew immediately that something was wrong, and I just hoped that it wasn't too bad.

…

_**A/N: This was up later than expected… Sorry about that!**_

_**Yours Truly,**_

_**~YoDog41**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! This week went by pretty fast, which is always good! I can't wait for school to be over, due to the fact that when I am on vacation, I can sit inside, and not do anything except clean. Also, thank you all for the reviews! I enjoy reading every one of them!**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"Umm, Levi? I think you've had enough to drink…" I stated almost hesitantly, as I reached for the glass of beer he had resting in front of him.

Levi snatched it away from my reach, and drank more of the alcohol, eventually finishing off the glass. "I'll tell you when I've had enough to drink, brat." he mumbled, pushing the glass away from him, and ordering another. He said that he was only going to have one or two alcoholic beverages, not four, and now he was completely hammered from the excessive drinking. I had told him to stop after the second one, saying that he shouldn't drink anymore, but he refused to listen to me, and ordered another beer.

I got lucky this time, and the waiter refused to serve him anymore alcohol, since even he knew Levi was way past his limit, and that giving him another beer would result in disaster. With a click of his tongue, Levi stumbled up, and dug through his pockets for his car keys; the task finding itself much more difficult now that his brain wasn't functioning properly. Once he had the things he needed to start up his vehicle, he started to stumbled out the door, when I stopped him, and snatched his keys from him. That caused him to give me a dirty look, and lean his arm on the table for support. "You are in no condition to drive, Levi." I explained in a serious tone, knowing that he would most likely get in a crash with his hazy mind. "I'll drive you back to my apartment, and you can stay there for the night, and leave in the morning."

"Tch," he breathed out. "You're one stubborn person…"

I took that as him agreeing to my plan, and after placing money on the table we had been sitting at to pay for Levi's many drinks, I helped him out of the bar with his arm slung over my shoulder for support, and to his vehicle. It seemed that we had stayed at the bar longer than expected, because the sky was now dark, and the air was even more chilly than during the fall day. I unconsciously pulled Levi closer to me, noticing that he was shivering and looked miserable. There was something eating at him, yet I couldn't detect what that was. Even when he had stopped by the bakery to ask me out for drinks his mood seemed off, and I had no idea why. I had planned to ask him about what was bothering him when we reached the bar, but almost as soon as we sat down at the table, Levi began his indulging in drinking, and that made it impossible to ask him.

After I had helped Levi into the passenger seat of his car, I walked around, and sat down in the driver's seat, pushing the key into the ignition, and shutting the door. I turned up the heat, noticing that the author was still shivering, and I sighed before shifting gears, and driving to my apartment. The ride was quiet, and the only thing I could hear was the slight hiccup from Levi every once and awhile, and the soft music playing in the background that I didn't seem to want to turn up. For some reason, the only thing I wanted to hear was his breathing, the noise that seemed to calm me down, even when my senses were on high alert. Hell, even when Levi was hammered, and he smelled of cigarettes and alcohol, I felt relaxed just by being near him, and would be lying if I said that I wanted the car ride to be over as soon as possible.

Eventually though, the ride was over, and I was now helping Levi get out of his car without falling to the pavement, and hurting himself. I grabbed his hand, too worried about him for the close contact for it to be awkward, and watched as a grimace found it's way onto his face. I remembered his thing about germs, and immediately felt bad about touching him, but if he wanted to stand up-right, he was going to need to touch my 'germy' hand. After he was out of the car, and his door was shut, I locked it with the button on the keys, and we walked towards my room of the quaint apartments in which I lived.

Taking the elevator, we finally made it to my room on the second floor, and after unlocking the door, I helped Levi over to the couch, where he plopped down, and looked completely miserable. Giving him a apologetic look, I flipped on the dim lamp, knowing that the full lights would be far too much for his aching head to handle, and walked to the kitchen, grabbing him a pain killer for the headache I knew he had, and a bottle of water. "Here," I stated, handing them his way. I sat down next to him on the sofa, and glanced towards Levi, taking in the full-view of his body after he took the medicine. He looked more pale than usual, and I was sure it was from the high amount of alcohol he had taken in; his frame was shaking slightly, and he looked as if he were going to get sick; Levi's fingers fiddled with the hem of his shirt, as if he were deciding on whether to ask me something, or not; and his face wore a grim, and worrisome expression. It was a look I wasn't used to seeing on the stoic author, and it pained me to see that something was bothering him this much.

"Eren?" he asked out of the blue, his sudden voice making me snap out of my daze. That was probably the first time he had actually said my name, and with so much pain added into it as well.

"Y-Yeah?" I asked, not sure of what he wanted to speak about, but becoming hopeful that it was whatever was eating at his mind.

Levi looked over to me, hurt swirling around in his steel eyes; one of the first real emotions I had saw coming from him. "What are your feelings towards me?"

My eyes widened, and I felt myself sit straight up, wondering where he had gotten that kind of a question. "Wha-? I'm not sure… Why do you ask?" I stuttered.

"When we chatted down at your bookstore, your friend Armin stated that you liked the author of _U.S.S Titan. _Do you only like me because I am some 'hot-shot' author?" he asked, sounded extremely hurt.

I frowned even further, and felt my eyes grow softer, feeling bad that I had hurt Levi, even though I had never intended it. I reached my hand out to grab his, but instead, it fell to the sofa halfway. "Levi, listen… I would by lying if I said that I didn't like you for your book; it's the whole reason I contacted you in the first place. But now that I have actually met you, and held decent conversation with you, I have learned to like not just your book, but more so, yourself. Please don't think that the only reason I like to have you around is because you're 'famous'; that's just not true. In fact, if that was the case, then I probably would be treating you like some god. I like you not just because you're some amazing writer, but also because you are yourself, and being around you brings me joy." I stated in a careful tone, my hand finally outstretching, and gently grabbing his, sending him a small squeeze.

I half expected him to pull his hand away from mine and hit me, but instead, he looked to the floor, and sent me a reassuring squeeze through his fingers; a touch that was so gentle, I forgot that it was him who was touching me. Noticing that he wasn't going to say anything, anytime soon, I stood up with his hand in mine, and lead him to the guest bedroom, allowing him to sit down on the cushiony futon, and walking back to my room to grab him a set of spare clothes he could change into, knowing that he wouldn't want to sleep in jeans. I handed him the comfortable clothing, and with a mumbled 'thank you', he started to get dressed into them. After asking him if he needed anything else, and receiving a head-shake to the question, I bid him a good night, and left him to his sleep.

I now knew what had been bugging Levi the whole night, and why he had gotten so drunk in the first place. He was worried that I only liked him because of his book, and that was a reasonable thing to be upset about. After all, if I had wrote a book and Armin only hung around me for the popularity, then I would be pissed off also. But Levi had nothing to worry about; I liked him, for himself, and not just his book. There was still something bothering me in the back of my mind as I walked down the hall, flipped off the lamp in the living room, and walked back to my bedroom to rest. And since he seemed to have an idea of my feelings towards him, I wanted to know… What were his feelings towards me?

…

_**A/N:: Sorry this is up so late! I was procrastinating again!**_

_**Yours Truly, **_

_**~YoDog41**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! I decided that updating once more this weekend was a good idea, since I have some time to do whatever. I realize that I only updated once last weekend, and I'm sorry about that! Hopefully this will make up for my mistake. The next time I update I will finally be on Summer Vacation, so you can all be expecting more chapters up quicker. Also, thank you all for the reviews! They are what motivate me to update whenever I can!**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"Good morning, Levi. How'd you sleep?" I asked, noticing the stoic author slowly stepping into the kitchen, looking completely exhausted and pissed off. I could tell the effects of his hangover were finally hitting him, and he seemed to look even worse than the night prior.

Levi cradled his head, and sat down at the table as he sighed deeply. "Do you really have to shout, brat? I'm right fucking here…" he stated quietly as he sent a glare my way.

I frowned, and set down the spatula I was using to cook with, and walked over to the cabinet above the sink to grab him a pain killer, and a glass of water to wash it down with. I could see just by the way he was accepting the pill that his headache was awful. I was really starting to wish that I had forced him to drink a lot of water the night before to dull the effects of the impending hangover, yet the thought never seemed to show up in my mind as I was taking care of him. After he was done taking the medicine, and was sipping on the glass of water I had given him, I walked back over to the stove to continue cooking.

I had nearly forgotten that Levi had spent the night over at my apartment, and when I saw him slightly stumble through the doorway, I was taken aback by his sudden appearance. What surprised me even more was that he was wearing my clothing; a pair of loose sweatpants that had been rolled many times at the waist just to shorten the length of the legs, and a t-shirt that appeared to be more of a nightgown on his petite frame. I had completely forgotten that I had let him borrow them so that he didn't have to sleep in his jeans, and button-up shirt, and god only knew how cute I thought he looked in the baggy clothing. What made me bite my lip to prevent myself from commenting on his appearance, was the whole thing about his bed-head; his raven hair stuck up at random ends, and looked like he had never used a brush. Seeing Levi like this was strange, maybe even more so than when he was hammered, but this was something I could get used to seeing.

After the cheese-omelet was done cooking in the pan, along with some sausage links I had decided would be nice to have, I served it up on a plate, and slid it in front of Levi with a warm smile. Since I had forgotten about him being at my apartment, I didn't even think about cooking for another person. But I knew he would be grateful for the breakfast, since it would help out with his headache; plus I could always make another meal for myself. Levi looked up to me with a raised eyebrow, acting like he had never looked at food before, or like it was an alien. "Eat up," I stated, walking over to the fridge to grab two more eggs.

"You know," he began, picking up the fork that was in front of him. "This really isn't necessary."

I smiled as I cracked the two eggs open into the porcelain bowl, and after finding no shells in it, I whisked them together with a fork, and poured the liquid into the pan that was still frying over the stove. "That's where you're wrong… You're my guest, and I'm going to treat you like one. And if that means making you breakfast, then so be it." I remarked, sprinkling two handfuls of freshly shredded cheese into the frying eggs, along with some onion.

"Are you sure that you're only a bookstore owner, Jäger? Or are you Gordon Ramsey in disguise? Because this is the best thing I have ever eaten." I heard complimented from Levi, as his fork went to cut another piece of the food.

I rubbed the back of my neck with a slight chuckle as I turned to looked at the author sitting at my table, who was already half-way through his omelet. "Nope, just a bookstore owner." I laughed a bit, feeling my attitude rise some upon hearing those words of praise, surprised to have heard some words like that from Levi.

I heard his fork 'clink' on the table, and I knew he was finished with his meal, and by the look on his face, satisfied and feeling better. "You know, the only cooking I really ever eat is Erwin's, and that's only when he wants to bribe me to show up to work, or write a new chapter. But compared to his, this is like a 5-star restaurant. I'm starting to think that you should have opened a diner rather than a bookstore." he remarked with a smirk, as he leaned back in his wooden chair.

"I'm glad you like it so much," I mentioned, as I shoveled the now finished omelet onto a different plate, and grabbed a fork. "I didn't think my cooking was that good. Marco is much better at cooking meals than I am, to be honest." Sitting down in my chair, I cut a piece of my breakfast, and placed it into my mouth, happy that I was finally eating something to fulfill my hunger. "What are you going to do today?"

Levi seemed to be busy with inspecting his nails, but he glanced up at me once he noticed that I was speaking with him. "I was planning on starting a new chapter, since Erwin has been hounding me to get a new one in before the editors blow his head off. They are always getting pissy when I procrastinate, telling me that if I don't get the chapter in, there won't be a book. And to be honest, I don't really care all too much; I didn't even want to publish the first story. Because now I have this blasted sequel to write."

I felt my eyes widen with excitement, and I smiled widely at Levi. "You're writing a sequel? I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to hear that!" I exclaimed, cutting off another piece of my food, and placing it in my mouth.

"Don't sound so happy about it, brat. It's nowhere near as 'good' as the first." he remarked, standing up from the chair, and walking towards the guest room, to get dressed back into the clothes he had wore yesterday. When he stepped back into the kitchen, he was wearing that blue button-up shirt again, with his light wash jeans, that suited his short stature. "I better get going then. Thank you for making breakfast for me, and allowing me to stay here even though I was probably in your way." he smirked, stepping closer towards me.

I looked up to him, and pushed my empty plate aside with a smile. "There's no need to thank me. And you weren't in the way at all, Levi. I'd be happy to have you over again." I stated, moving to stand up so I could walk him out.

I grabbed his keys from the stand by the door, and tossed them his way as he caught them with no problems, before moving to open my apartment door. Just as he was about to leave, I felt his lips press against my cheek for the second time, and he leaned close to my ear. "Thank you again, Eren. Those words you said to me last night really did mean a lot." he whispered in a way that could only be described as gratefulness. Without another word, Levi stepped out the door, and walked down the hall towards the elevator, as I stood there with my face being cradled in my palm, and a large blush on my cheeks. Why did he kiss me _again_? Was it only because he was satisfied with my words? Or was it something else? Whatever the hell it was, I wanted to know.

…

_**A/N:: Well, this is up earlier, which is good because I hate updating late.**_

_**Yours Truly, **_

_**~YoDog41**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! I am finally on Summer Vacation, and I couldn't be happier about it! I actually got off on Thursday, but decided that I needed a day to myself so I could relax, and clean. Although, I am updating now, which is good. Also, thank you all for the reviews! I enjoyed reading every one of them!**_

_**Jean's POV::**_

"Thank you for all your hard work, Levi. I know how difficult it is for you to write a new chapter, and considering this is the first one for your new story, I'd say you got it in earlier than expected." I praised the short author, after he handed me the newly typed-up chapter of his book. "I will get right to work on editing this. Thank you for stopping by."

Levi nodded his head as he leaned his weight on one leg, and crossed his arms, his leather jacket moving to wrap further around his petite body. "I will be back sometime shortly, Kirschtien. Call me whenever you finish perusing it, and don't rush it, or half-ass your editing. The publishers get pissed with me whenever there is a mistake, and I don't want those dumbass' yelling at me because I used the wrong form of a word, or forgot to capitalize something. I try not to rely on the editors too much, because I know that I should catch my own mistakes. Although, I sometimes do not, and that's where you come in." he stated in a firm tone, sending me a scrutinizing look, as if trying to tell whether my editing job would be up to his standards.

I clutched the manila folder that held the documents of his newest chapter tighter in my grip, as I looked to Levi with a fearful sort of glance, knowing that if I screwed up my editing, he would probably mount my head as a trophy, titling it 'the ass-hat who didn't do his work properly'. And deciding that it wasn't a fate I wanted to go through, I was going to make sure to look through every detail of his work to prevent the awful future that would lay ahead of me if I didn't. "Y-Yes, sir. You have nothing to worry about." I remarked with a slight stutter, trying my best to give him a reassuring smile, which fell flat; a dying person could have smiled better than I did.

"Of course I don't…" he mentioned, sarcasm heavy in his tone, as he turned on his heels and left my office without another word, probably to go and visit with Erwin.

Sighing, I placed the folder that contained a large stack of documents on my desk top, before I buried my face into my palms, wishing that I didn't have to be at work, when I could be at home with Marco. Levi was probably the most difficult, and one of the most ill-mannered authors I worked with, and editing his chapters always left me exhausted, and in a bad mood. It wasn't as if there were many mistakes, or even that his writing was difficult to revise; it was the fact that Levi wouldn't accept anything less than perfection, and he refused to let any inaccuracy make it's way to the publishing department, which meant I had to spend more time working on it than I should have to. I grabbed a red pen from the tin container on my desk, and with a groan, I opened up the folder and began to make the corrections on the documents that I wished didn't exist.

Halfway through editing the documents, to which there weren't very many mistakes, a knock at the door brought me out of my so-called 'zone' that I usually got in whilst making revisions to papers, and after telling whomever it was to come in, Erwin poked his head through the door with a warming smile. "You've worked diligently enough today, Jean. You may go home now, if you would like." he confirmed, before leaving my office, and closing the door.

I grinned, happy that I was able to put aside those godforsaken documents for the day, and go home to my boyfriend, who I hated to leave alone. I closed the lid on the pen I had been using, before putting it back into the can and standing up, pushing my swivel chair in after moving out of the way. I placed a paperclip around the pages of the document that I had already edited to save my place, before unlocking the drawer of my desk, and setting the manila folder in it, so just in case someone came snooping around my office, they wouldn't be able to touch, or mess with the files, which would probably set me behind schedule, and only allow Levi to become furious with me. After locking the drawer back up, and making sure everything was back to the way it had been when I walked in that morning, I put on my black jacket and red scarf that would help me to stay warm when I went outside, grabbed my messenger bag, and left my office, leaving the door open so that the janitors would clean it.

Passing many people on my way out of the editorial department, and through the whole building in general, I would stop to talk with the very few men and women that I knew, and was friendly with, which allowed me to stay in the publishing company longer than I would have liked to. Except, with the promise that I would be able to see Marco sooner than not, I couldn't seem to care very much, and was surprisingly responsive when someone would chat with me. After awhile, I made it down to the large parking garage where I would normally park my vehicle when I was at work, and unlocked the doors so I could get into the driver's seat of my car, and go home.

The drive itself was slow, since I usually left my job in rush-hour, and all of the cars were packed together on the roads in a traffic jam, but with the soothing music coming from the car stereo, I didn't find myself wanting to murder everyone within the slow moving traffic. I was never really the one to get upset during bad driving conditions, but Marco was. I didn't know how it was possible, since he was always so nice, and loving, but when Marco got stuck in some bad traffic, you wanted to keep at least ten feet from him. He would constantly yell vulgarities towards the other drivers, as well as using hand gestures to portray his words, and during that time, it was like he was a spawn of hell, ready to kill anyone he breathed around him. I had a feeling it was something that had to do with his time in the Army, and it was understandable, considering what had happened to him before he was discharged. But the rest of the time, Marco was the sweetest human on the planet.

I finally reached the house, and upon exiting the car, I smiled, happy to finally be home after the long day at work. I shut, and locked up my car, before making my way up the small flight of steps that led to the front door of the smaller house, the pathway usually adorned with beautiful flowers and plants, but due to the cold whether, they had all wilted, leaving bare stems, and shrubs around. Marco and I had been living together ever since he had came home from the Army, since I insisted he stay with me, on account of his traumatizing nightmares he would normally have from working in that painful line of work. I didn't want to leave him alone, especially at night, because he had told me about one of his nightmares after it occurred, and to say the least it frightened me, and I wasn't even the one who dreamt it, or lived through it. Marco now worked as a florist close to the café, and Jäger's bookstore, which was a job I loved him working, since he would usually come home smelling sweet, the floral scent of the flower shop mingling with his usual caramel scent, creating something that I loved to smell on him. Plus, he would usually bring home the most beautiful bouquets of flowers that really brought out a peaceful touch to our small house.

Upon entering the house, I was greeted with the wonderful scent of toasted garlic, and sizzling meat, along with simmering eggplant, meaning that Marco had made one of my favorite dishes, eggplant lasagna. I didn't know where he had learned how to do it, but his cooking was absolutely divine, and I loved coming home to meals he had cooked for me. I had told Marco many of times that he should have been a chef, rather than a florist, but every time I would bring it up, he would shake off my idea, and ignore it in it's entirety. One day, I asked him why he would ignore my statement, or never listen to my advice, and his answer was that he only cooked for people he loved, and cared about, and that was including me. So, becoming a chef would destroy his principles, and wouldn't allow him to have fun with his cooking any longer. That response he had given me, set a warmth ablaze in my heart, and I wanted nothing more at the moment than to hold him close.

"I'm home!" I announced, as I slipped off my shoes, placing them neatly by the entry way, and tossing my car keys into the little bowl on the small stand beside the front door. I placed my messenger bag on the coat rack, then I shucked off my scarf, and coat, hanging them up on the same hook as my work bag.

Marco looked down the hallway, and smiled warmly at me as he set down whatever he was holding on the kitchen counter, and walked down the hall, throwing his arms around my neck, and giving me a kiss on the lips. "Welcome back." he stated lovingly, as our foreheads rested against one another.

I felt my heart race, much like it did every time he kissed me with such loving intentions, and I smiled gently, my arms moving to wrap around his lower back as I fiddled with the tied bow from the apron he was wearing. "Something smells good… I'm glad you made dinner tonight, especially because it's what I need to relax after my long day at work." I commented happily, looking into his chocolate eye that wasn't covered by a medical patch.

A slight frown grew on Marco's face, the freckles on his cheeks making him seem like a little child. "What happened at work that made it seem so long?" he asked worriedly; little questions like that allowed me to find other ways in which he loved me.

"Well," I began with a sigh. "Levi had brought his new chapter in today, and told me that I had better do a good job of editing it, or he would be less than happy. I must applaud him for actually getting his work done, and on time, since he rarely does. But I just wish he would be a little nicer to me when he gives me things that need revisions."

Marco grinned at me, and I felt all my tension from the day just melt away. "You know that's just how he is, Jean; a perfectionist even with the things he doesn't want to do. And you really can't blame him for wanting no errors in it, those publishers are harsh on him." he remarked, trying to lighten the mood, and see the positives of every situation, even if it seemed like there were none. I nodded my head, and Marco grabbed my hand before leading me to the kitchen, where he told me to sit at the table, and that dinner would be served in a minute.

Putting on oven mitts, he took the lasagna out of the oven, before placing it on the stovetop, and slipping them off with ease when there was no more risk of getting burned, before wiping his hands on the grey sweat pants he was wearing, and fixing the hem of the black v-neck shirt he had on his torso, after untying the apron, and hanging it on a hook. Marco served up two plates of food; a medium-sized portion of the Italian dish sitting in one corner of the plate, embellished with a piece of basil, along with a side-salad, drizzled with Italian dressing. He turned around with a huge smile on his face, two plates in hand as he walked over to the table, and placed the porcelain dishes down, one in front of me, and the other in the place where he was going to sit. After that, he moved back over to the cabinets, and grabbed two wine glasses before opening a bottle of wine, and pouring the liquid inside of them. Marco walked back over to the table with the drinks in hand, and a basket of freshly baked, and sliced bread, the olive oil already placed out on the table. And after he set everything down, my boyfriend and I were ready to share the delicious meal that he had prepared for the two of us, hopefully having it to relax my mind after the long day.

…

_**A/N:: I think this chapter is the definition of 'long', and I didn't mean for it to be. It may seem like filler, and in a way, it is. Although, it allows you to see into the daily life of Jean and Marco, and also how badly Levi procrastinates; almost as badly as I do. **_

_**Yours Truly,**_

_**~YoDog41**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! I was going to update yesterday, but my brain wasn't functioning properly, and I figured that writing would have been a disaster waiting to happen. So, I am writing today, instead. Also, thank you for all the reviews! They mean so much to me!**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"Thank you for coming in today; this information really does help." the neuroscientist said, as she peered from behind her glasses at me, and the clipboard she held in her hands was placed down on her disorganized desk. She clicked her pen, and placed it down on the clip-boarded documents before she took off her dark rimmed glasses, and looked over to Levi. "I'll call you about this later. In the mean time, make sure you get enough sleep, and are taking your vitamins; you're looking rather dead today." she scolded with an all-knowing smirk, before crossing her arms.

Levi scoffed and rolled his eyes as he stood from the chair, grabbing the jacket that had been resting on the back of it, before sliding it onto his petite body. "Shut it, Hanji. At least I don't go crazy from working so much." he stated, sending her a short smirk.

Hanji chuckled a bit, and rested her elbows upon her cluttered desk. "I'd rather go crazy from working in the lab so much, then being bored from never working at all. Besides, I love my job; unlike you. Now, why don't you two go out for a movie, or something. It'll do you good, Levi." she remarked with a smile, before rolling up the sleeves on her lab coat.

The author sent her an annoyed look, almost like he was a child tired of listening to his overbearing mother giving him chores, or advice that wouldn't get him anywhere in life. Although, it was obvious that he did take her words to careful consideration, otherwise he wouldn't have a look of understanding on his face. I stood up from my chair, and fixed the argyle sweater I was wearing, before waving a 'good-bye' to the neuroscientist, and leaving the room with Levi. I sent him an almost irritated look as we walked out into the carpeted hallway, and crossed my arms. "Would you please explain this to me?" I asked, wondering why Hanji needed the information I gave to her.

Every once and awhile, I would get this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach when I woke up, like I had received some bad news, or I was about to get sick. I started getting it at a young age, and I didn't know what the feeling was, but it scared me in a way. I dubbed it as a recurring dream- or nightmare if you will -that I couldn't remember. However, when I went to sleep the night prior, I had a dream that confused me slightly, and when I woke up, I had the feeling in my stomach, and knew that I had finally remembered the dream I had tried so hard to, and didn't know whether it was a good, or a bad thing.

The dream was strange, and seemed to last only for a short time, but it still made me wonder of why it, of all things, was the one I had been getting at a young age, up until now. It consisted of me on the U.S.S Titan, with Levi as the captain, and people such as Jean, and Marco being there, also. It wouldn't have seemed very strange, if it weren't for the fact that I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach, and that I had been getting it at a young age. Which meant that I had been dreaming about Levi before I had even met him, or read his book, and that seemed to bring me worrisome thoughts. I had called him up almost immediately after having the dream, because I figured that he should know, since he was in the nightmare, and because it was about his novel, and when I explained it to him, he forced me to get dressed, and brought me down to see Hanji to explain the dream to her.

I originally thought that it was due to Levi wanting to figure out why I had the dream, so he brought me up to Hanji's lab to figure it out. But the way he talked with her, and asked questions told me that he knew more than he was willing to admit, and that only seemed to further my irritation with him. Levi looked over to me, as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, before he looked back down the hall. I huffed in frustration when I noticed he wasn't going to answer me, and continued to walk alongside him. Whatever the hell Levi was keeping from me was bigger than I had thought, and now wanted to desperately know why the hell he was keeping it from me. Because whatever it was, he had now pulled me into it, and if I was in this circle of things that I didn't know about, I deserved to know why it was such a big deal.

After a short walk, we made it to the parking lot outside, and eventually to Levi's car, and the more he stayed quiet, the more I became upset with him. All I wanted to know was what was going on, or why he felt the need to keep it a secret from me, especially when I was directly involved in it. I slid into the passenger seat, the leather material of it surprisingly cold, and making me want to get home sooner. Once Levi had moved into the driver's seat, and had started his vehicle up, I looked over to him and sighed. "Alright, obviously whatever is going on, or why I had to tell my dream to Hanji is 'classified', or of dear importance to you. But I wish you would tell me why, because you being this secretive is freaking me out." I stated, after buckling up my seat belt.

Levi looked over to me, and a small smirk grew on his face that almost seemed reassuring in a way, before he reached a hand forward, and pushed it through my hair, and made a ruffling motion in it. "It's something I will tell you eventually, just not yet. I know that you are pissed off with me, and to be honest, I would be also. But please understand that it's difficult to explain, and we haven't been talking for the longest time, and I don't exactly feel safe letting you know about it just yet. It's something only two people know, and if it makes any difference, it is also how I came up with the idea for my book. Just bare with me, and I will eventually tell you what you want to know. It may not be the answer you want, or are expecting. Hell, it will probably make me sound like a lunatic that should be sent to a mental ward because it sounds so ridiculous, but it is the truth as far as I am concerned, and it's all I know, and can grasp to for an answer." he explained, his cold hand on the top of my head causing me to blush slightly.

The author removed his hand from my head, and switched gears in the car before he pulled out of the parking lot so he could drive me back home, glancing out his rearview mirror all the while to make sure that he wasn't going to hit anybody in the process. I didn't know if the answer to why he wouldn't tell me gave me comfort, or only furthered my anger, and confusion with him. But if he said that it was important to him, then I could only believe him since it was all I could go off of, and keep me content in the moment. There were other questions plaguing my mind, also, and all of them had to do with Levi. Like why did I finally remember that occurring nightmare now that I had started to talk with the raven? I didn't know the answer to so many things, and thinking about it all hurt my head.

We pulled up to parking lot outside of my apartment, and I exited the car before shutting the door, then walking around so I could speak with him one last time before going into my home, and skipping out on the bookstore I was supposed to be at by watching movies. Levi rolled down his window, and rested his arm on the side of the door, while I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. "Thank you for the ride, Levi." I stated, still kind of upset about him leaving me in the dark about everything, yet feeling that it shouldn't be the reason I was rude to him.

"Think nothing of it, brat. It was the least I could do after forcing you out of your apartment. Besides, I wasn't going to let you freeze your ass off trying to walk home, or get kidnapped while trying to get a ride." he paused, the smirk on his face turning into a serious emotion. "Make sure you tell me if you have anymore dreams like this one, because it really would help." he remarked solemnly, before looking back ahead, and rolling his window up. As I watched him shift gears, and drive off without anymore words, leaving me in a fit of anger, I vowed that I wasn't going to tell Levi anymore of my dreams, because I hated this hole I had dug for myself, just by telling him the first one.

…

_**A/N:: Yeah, I know some of you may be just as confused as Eren, but just know it will be explained over time. **_

_**Yours Truly, **_

_**~YoDog41**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N:: Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I haven't updated in the longest time! I don't know what happened, I just stopped writing. But I am back now, so… Also, thank you all for those spectacular reviews! They are what keeps me motivated!**_

_**Eren's POV::**_

"Um, Levi… I'd hate to ask this, but could you help me with my tie? I can't seem to get the knot right…" I asked nervously, embarrassed that I couldn't do something that Levi had done with ease, even though I had my reasons for not knowing how to do so.

The author sighed, and gave me a slightly amused look when he noticed the awful knot I had created in the neck tie, and before I knew it, he was only a few feet from me as he tried his best to untangle the mess I had created with the burgundy tie. "I understand that you don't go to formal parties, brat… But shouldn't your father have taught you how to do something like this?" he asked, entertained slightly as he finally got the tie undone.

I crossed my arms, and looked to Levi with a raised eyebrow. "How can I learn something from someone who was out getting drunk all the time, and left when I was seven?" I asked, yet already knowing the answer.

Levi seemed to wince a bit, as he heard my rhetorical question and his small hands worked a bit faster as if he were afraid that I was going to yell at him. "I'd imagine it to be quite difficult; sorry for bringing it up." he stated, in a sort of apologetic tone as he finished up with my tie, and fixed it so it rested beneath my tuxedo jacket. "You know, you do clean up rather nicely, brat."

I felt a slight red color his my cheeks as I glowered at him, straightening up the cuffs of my jacket as a way to keep my attention on anything by him. Levi had invited me to one of the formal parties the publishing company he worked at would hold annually, and if I was being completely truthful, I was very nervous about going. Not only did I have to worry about using proper manners, but I also had Levi to impress, and all of it was nerve-racking. I knew that he didn't amaze easily, but considering he was complimenting me on my formal attire, I'd say I was getting a bit too worked up. However, I wanted to show Levi my gratitude for bringing me with him, because out of all the people he could have invited, he had chose me.

Originally, I was not going to attend, and I had declined his offer on account of having nothing to wear, nor the slightest idea of what to do at formal parties. But then he turned around saying that he would buy me a suit, and would teach me the proper mannerisms for it, and after that, there was no way I was getting out of it. I told him not to spend too much money, but what does he do? Turns around, and spends two-hundred dollars on an outfit that I would only wear once, and I didn't know if I should be upset, or grateful.

I grabbed my cell phone, and keys to my apartment before sliding them into my pants pocket, and before I knew it, we were out the door and on our way to the banquet hall in a hotel that the publishing company had rented out for the evening. We took the elevator down to the finely-decorated lobby, and out to the parking lot where Levi had parked the vehicle we would be taking; his goddamn sports car. I didn't know where he had gotten all this money, because last time I checked, being an author wasn't very profitable. But maybe he was just good at balancing money, and whatnot. After all, what else could I assume?

The drive to the hotel was short, but apparently not too short because Levi had no problem lighting up a cigarette after rolling down the window. I wondered sometimes how he had started such a dirty habit, seeing as though he was all about cleanliness. Although, it did seem to calm him down a whole lot, and I was grateful since I didn't want to have to put up with his bad attitude anymore than I already did. When Levi was truly upset, he made it known to everyone around him. Yet, I had a feeling that I would probably never see him when he was fully upset, and I was grateful for that; him when he was in a bad mood was awful enough.

When we arrived at the hotel, Levi had declined the valet's help to have his car parked, due to how he didn't want anything stolen from him or the man to dirty up his vehicle, and to be honest, I couldn't blame him since I never trusted valets, what with hearing those stories of how they did tend to steal things. So, Levi parked the car himself, and we both walked up to the doors of the large hotel, where we checked in at the elegant lobby, and were directed to the convention hall for the party.

The convention hall itself wasn't anything too special, or amazing to look at; it was just a fairly big room with chairs and tables spread around the place, with white tablecloths covering them, and a vase of flowers placed in the middle for a centerpiece, while the chairs had a burgundy wrap on them to match the centerpiece of mostly red carnations. The hall itself looked almost like a fancy restaurant, save for the bigger scale of it.

Levi ushered for me to follow him to an empty table so we could wait for the dinner meal to be served to us, and I sat down in a chair beside him, feeling that if I lost track of the author, I would have no idea where to go, or what to do. And to be honest, it would be entirely true. Everyone around me seemed to know exactly what to do, and exactly when to do it. Then you had me, completely unknowing of anything procedure wise. I was happy that Levi had given me some insight on how to deal with people that may approach him and try to speak with me, and also how dinner would be served. But there was nothing to tell me if I should engage conversation with people, leave them alone, or even what I should do when I was done eating. All I could hope for was that Levi would fill me in on the way.

"Oi, brat. You should really calm down. It's not like you are about to be interrogated for some terrorist offense. And even though these parties are the epitome of shit, you should at least try to have a decent time. After all, I didn't invite you so that you could be uncomfortable while we are here." he stated nonchalantly as he picked up the newly placed wine glass in front of him in the strange manner he always held cups. Levi must have noticed that I was nervous, and I had to figure that his words were something to relax me.

I watched as a wine glass was placed before me, and I hesitantly picked it up with the stem between my middle, and ring finger, my hand cradling the curved portion, and I tipped it up to my mouth, drinking some of the sweetish alcohol. I was never the person to drink, especially not wine. But I figured that one glass wouldn't hurt, especially because I knew it wouldn't get me drunk. I sighed after finishing the swallow, and placed the wine glass back down with a sigh, the drink burning my throat slightly. "Sorry, Levi. I've never been anywhere like this before. I guess it's just a bit overwhelming." I remarked with a slight chuckle, rubbing the back of my neck as I did so.

When I expected some sort of response from Levi, I got none. Instead, the author was completely silent, and seemed to tense up all of a sudden as he noticed a group of five people that were seating themselves at a table two away from the one Levi and I were sitting at. He seemed to be glaring a bit at the taller woman wearing a formal suit, with brown hair tied back, darker skin, and freckles lining her cheeks. She had a smug smile on her lips, one much like the smile I would see on Levi's face when he had upset me in some strange way. There was something about her, and her group that just gave me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I looked over to Levi, whose attention was still directed on the other group, and I gave him a worried frown. "Are you okay, Levi?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, honestly concerned. I had never saw the author act so quiet, and emotionless before. Even when his face showed no pure emotion, you could always detect something in his steel gaze. But not this time, there was nothing.

Levi glanced over towards me after registering that I had spoken to him, and gave me a slight nod. "I'm fine, brat." he confirmed, his eyes stating different with an almost apologetic look that I couldn't decipher. That smirk that matched the woman's he was staring at appeared on his lips after a short while, and he rested his head in one of his palms. "Since when are you worried about me?"

A faint red color appeared on my cheeks, and I turned away from him with an almost upset gaze as I picked up the glass once more, hopefully to hide the color of my cheeks that was sure to have Levi giving me more shit than he already did. "You just looked distant, that's all. I believe it had something to do with that woman over there… I take it you don't like her very much."

"No, I don't." came the very cold response that could freeze lakes over. The genuine distain in his voice was something I had never heard from one person, and it gave me an unsettling feeling in my stomach. It was now very obvious that the woman with the same smirk Levi wore most of the time, was someone the author loathed, and did not get along with. But it made me wonder; why did he have such a hatred for her?

"What's with the look, Levi? It looks like someone pissed in your drink." began an unfamiliar voice that was accompanied by a chuckle that sent shivers down my spine.

I looked up, and noticed the freckled woman that Levi hated so much pulling out a chair to sit in with that smug look on her face. It was a good thing that Levi had put down his wine glass, otherwise it would have probably shattered from how tightly he was squeezing his palms from anger. "No, _Ymir_. Someone didn't piss in my drink, it was you showing up that pissed me off so much. Now would you kindly fuck off?" he asked, malice clear in his voice.

The woman named Ymir just chuckled again, obviously not threatened by the author's words. It bewildered me to think that she could just laugh that off, when if Levi used that tone with me I would have probably had a heart attack. "Jesus, old man; you need to calm down. I just stopped by to see who this gentleman you brought along with you was." she stated, looking towards me with an all-knowing smile.

There was nothing Levi had taught me that would prepare me for meeting someone like this, and to be honest, I didn't think I even wanted to meet her. I was about to introduce myself to be somewhat courteous, but Levi stopped me. "Don't fucking talk to him. I don't want you to even be near him." he barked in a hushed tone as if to not draw attention to us.

"Fine, I won't talk to him. So, I guess I will just have to speak with you, _Levi_. What's his name?" she asked, as if I wasn't even there any longer.

"That is none of your goddamn concern, bitch. Now leave me the fuck alone." he snapped, tone rising slightly.

"Do what he says, Ymir. And quit harassing Levi…" a voice piped up, one that sounded very clear and distinguished. Turning my head, I noticed a slightly angry Erwin, who had his arms folded across his broad chest, and was glaring at the woman. It was clear that this was a normal occurrence between Ymir and Levi, because the blonde didn't even sound the slightest bit surprised, but rather annoyed.

Ymir clicked her tongue, and stood out of her chair, giving me one last unsettling look before walking back over to her own table with her group. Erwin took the place she had been sitting in, and he sighed with an apologetic look towards the author. "I'm really sorry about that, Levi. And I'm sorry if she said something to you as well, Eren." he remarked, worried look on his face as he shared glances between the both of us.

"Whatever. I'm going out for a cigarette." Levi breathed out, obviously pissed about what had just unfolded, and I honestly couldn't blame him; I was heated myself. He stood out of his chair without a second look to either of us, and walked out of the hall to go outside and smoke his cancer-stick.

I looked over to Erwin who was being served a glass of wine by a woman who looked way too happy to be serving drinks, before I sighed as I watched her walk away with a slight bounce to her step. "Does that sort of thing happen often?" I asked the blonde who sipped the new drink that was before him.

"I'm afraid so…" he began after placing his wine down. "She is one of the many reasons that Levi hates these dinner parties, and will hardly show up to any of them."

That seemed to pipe my interest a bit. "So, he doesn't come to these dinners often? Then why did he show up to this one?" I asked, leaning forward a bit, as if sharing a banned secret with the blonde.

"Well, It's really not my place to tell. But Levi told me that the only way he would show up was if he was able to bring you with him. I have no idea as to why that is, but I get the general idea, and I am sure you do, as well." he stated quietly, with a soft smile on his lips.

Those words made my heart skip slightly, and my chest feel like it could explode from happiness. So, did this mean that Levi really did like me? It had to, otherwise why would he want to bring me so badly. He wasn't the kind of person that was particularly attached to someone. I picked up my wine glass once more with a gentle smile, trying to keep my happiness inside, and not to freak out in front of Erwin and make myself look like a fool. Now all I had to do was somehow figure out how to bring it up in conversation, and prove the fact. But honestly just knowing that Levi liked me the way I liked him made me feel like a million dollars. Even so, there was one thing on the back of my mind that unsettled me about this whole thing, and I didn't know what that was. Something just felt _off_ about the reason he liked me, and maybe that was what I wanted to figure out the most over everything.

…

_**A/N:: I hope the longer chapter will make up for my incompetent ability to update on time. And really, I am very sorry about it!**_

_**Yours Truly, **_

_**~YoDog41**_


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